All-Star What Should Penalty Be For Cheating?

[cheer8]

Sorry, about last post, but if you are a child and you don't know then thats another situation. But if you know yes I would quit. I wouldn't want to be apart of that cheating process. Once a cheater always a cheater. It would only take the team standing up and saying we don't approve of this and if that ineligible person stays on we r off. They wouldn't have a team then so they would have to take that non-legit person out!

 

[5-6-7-8]

Which is why the consequence has to be grave enough that a 15 year old kid does not have to be the one to keep someone considering dishonesty in line. Maybe the beheading consequence is the one to go with? (Can't find the sarcasm indicator, but pretend like it is there re: beheading.)

Exactly! And if that means the whole gym is punished, so be it. None of the kids in a cheer program, whatever the age, should be put in that scenario.

I do like the graduated punishment idea mentioned (first offense, team gives up all bids / wins / etc., 2nd offense hits the whole program...something like that.)

I don't think it is much to ask at all of the parents to provide a certified birth certificate. When both my kids were born, I think I ordered about 5 copies each of their birth cert. for this very reason.

 

[F!ERCE]

Sorry, about last post, but if you are a child and you don't know then thats another situation. But if you know yes I would quit. I wouldn't want to be apart of that cheating process. Once a cheater always a cheater. It would only take the team standing up and saying we don't approve of this and if that ineligible person stays on we r off. They wouldn't have a team then so they would have to take that non-legit person out!

All I'm saying is that I don't think that every single child on a team should be punished for what may be completely out of their knowledge and control.

I guess it's a very situational subject. I'm choosing to view it from an "innocent" standpoint, where I think most people would see it from the "guilty" standpoint.

 

[RockstarCheer]

Well again in our instance this weekendtreys team used a former cheerleader of mine that went to worlds, who is too old to cheer for a senior team now. This girl that they used is a coach at that program. So, not only did the gym owner know she was too old but most likely the senior team girls and parents had to know or suspect she was too old. So who is most at fault? I believe the gym owner. I mean he hired her and signs her checks. I guess she could have said no and I quit, I know I would.

 

[MissCongeniality]

Haven't Olympic relay teams (track) had their medals stripped because it was later learned that a teammate had taken performance enhancing drugs etc.? I mean there is precedence in this situation and as much as it "hurts" the teammates (whether they were knowledgable or not about the "cheating") only the harshest punishment will work as a deterrent. A slap on the hand will only lead to continued abuse of the rules.

 

[UCheerMama]

I know of a program who also lies about the ages of their younger, less skilled, kids. For example, a girl who has aged out of the youth division but does not have the skills to be on their junior or senior team. So they take advantage of the fact that the mom doesn't know the age requirements and they put her back on the youth team. They have also been know to "doctor" birth certificates for kids on their worlds level teams. I'm sorry if it seems harsh but a program that is blatantly breaking the rules should face harsh consequences. Until the punishment hits them in the pocket book they are going to continue to cheat. I definitely think the registration process will help this but there also have to be consequences.

 

[aimeewv]

We have this problem locally. A gym constantly uses ineligible guys and girls. Last year they had 2 ineligible older guys and 1 ineligible younger girl. They walked out WITH the paid bid. A few days later it was taken away after the athletes birth certificates were turned in. That is the ONLY consequence that happened. They then went to another competition without those 3 athletes (but with another ineligible boy that no one could prove) and received another bid and competed at 2010 worlds illegally. THIS PAST WEEKEND..they received a bid for the 2011 worlds from the SAME competition they cheated at last year. How is this allowed?!

Shame on the gym.....and in my eyes even more so shame on that cheer company. Cheaters will be cheaters, but why would they give a bid out to a team that they proved cheated at their event the previous year. I am starting to really question the integrity of some of these companies.

 

[MissBee]

Now this I like.

But what about the issue of using athletes under a different name? Last year my daughter got seriously injured 2 days before a big comp. They filled her spot in with someone that USED TO cheer at their gym, but was now at college. Never even told the event producers. So they submitted a roster weeks before with 25 girls' names and ages, and kept that same roster. But only sent 24 of those girls and one different girl. Now I think this would be one of those "unenforceable" cases, but seriously...everyone knew (from every gym), because they all knew her from years of cheering. I would want a way to keep gyms from doing this, but can't begin to imagine one. However, if a gym is caught so blatantly cheating, punishment should be severe enough to deter this from happening again (and this was our gym and I still feel this way!).

***This was NOT Fame. this was a gym we started with BEFORE Fame.:eek:

USASF issues athlete ID cards. These cards have a photo of the athlete, their name and a barcode on them that is tied to the athlete's registration info. This info includes: date of birth, gym name, levels that athlete is certified for and teams that athlete is registered with. Each athlete must scan their card just before taking the competition floor (like scanning your boarding pass to get on a plane). The cards are handed off to the coach as the kids take the floor. The software will pop up a green smiley if that's the correct kid on the correct team, and a big red X with a sound like when you lose on The Price is Right if they're a cheater.
Those types of ID printers and barcode scanners are relatively cheap, and the software could be pretty inexpensive too-just tied in to the USASF system, when your company is registered with USASF you get access to the database.

Dear person from USASF reading here: yup, just made you look like a hero at this weeks staff meeting. I'll take a shipment of Godiva Truffles once a week for the next year and we'll call it even.

 

[MissBee]

For If you take away somebody's Kate Spade from 2 years ago because you found out they stole it, is it really a punishment? They already have a shinier toy that they like better anyway.

Oh HELLS NO! My Kate from three summers ago is still my baby, and I would rip the jugular out of anyone who tried to take it from me.

 

[MissBee]

Schools require originals. So they can get over it. lol I believe when my daughter played soccer years ago they required an original as well.

They require that bring the original, and then they make a copy of it.

 

[Just-a-Mom]

USASF issues athlete ID cards. These cards have a photo of the athlete, their name and a barcode on them that is tied to the athlete's registration info. This info includes: date of birth, gym name, levels that athlete is certified for and teams that athlete is registered with. Each athlete must scan their card just before taking the competition floor (like scanning your boarding pass to get on a plane). The cards are handed off to the coach as the kids take the floor. The software will pop up a green smiley if that's the correct kid on the correct team, and a big red X with a sound like when you lose on The Price is Right if they're a cheater.
Those types of ID printers and barcode scanners are relatively cheap, and the software could be pretty inexpensive too-just tied in to the USASF system, when your company is registered with USASF you get access to the database.

Dear person from USASF reading here: yup, just made you look like a hero at this weeks staff meeting. I'll take a shipment of Godiva Truffles once a week for the next year and we'll call it even.

I was thinking something like this too. I think photo id's are the only way to go, but I just think everyone will find 50 reasons to fight it. But I love this idea...now if only we can make it happen.

 

[MissBee]

I was thinking something like this too. I think photo id's are the only way to go, but I just think everyone will find 50 reasons to fight it. But I love this idea...now if only we can make it happen.

What's to fight? Elementary schools issue photo IDs to the Kindergarteners! They have the bar code with all of the student's info: birth date (for state testing check in), student ID number (to buy lunch, check out library books, for late check in attendance in the office). I'm sure people will say they don't want to risk their kid losing it and their "private information" being out there...but that same info is on your kid's school ID, your insurance card, your work ID, heck-probably even on your grocery store's rewards card!

 

[Just-a-Mom]

What's to fight? Elementary schools issue photo IDs to the Kindergarteners! They have the bar code with all of the student's info: birth date (for state testing check in), student ID number (to buy lunch, check out library books, for late check in attendance in the office). I'm sure people will say they don't want to risk their kid losing it and their "private information" being out there...but that same info is on your kid's school ID, your insurance card, your work ID, heck-probably even on your grocery store's rewards card!

This is the one I was thinking everyone would get all worked up over.

Too "Big Brother" for a lot of folks. But I love it. Make it happen MissBee!!!!!

 

[MissBee]

This is the one I was thinking everyone would get all worked up over. :rolleyes: Too "Big Brother" for a lot of folks. But I love it. Make it happen MissBee!!!!!

With a bar-coded ID card, not only would you have to steal the ID card, but you would need to have the correct software to read the barcode AND access to the USASF database. The likelihood of an identity thief having all three of those is pretty small.

 

[Katie]

Never allowed to compete, ever, ever, ever, again.